No room for complacency, says India U-15 football coach

India U-15 women's football coach Firmin D'Souza praised the team's dominating 12-0 win over Sri Lanka and has cautioned the side against complacency ahead its clash against Bhutan in the SAFF U-15 Championship.

Published : Aug 10, 2018 18:55 IST

Firmin D’Souza has urged his side to remain focussed after its 12-0 win over Sri Lanka.
Firmin D’Souza has urged his side to remain focussed after its 12-0 win over Sri Lanka.
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Firmin D’Souza has urged his side to remain focussed after its 12-0 win over Sri Lanka.

After starting its SAFF U-15 Championship with a massive 12-0 win over Sri Lanka, head coach Firmin D’Souza cautioned against complacency ahead of India’s clash against host Bhutan in its second group match on August 13.

RELATED| Indian U-15 women put 12 past hapless Sri Lanka

D’Souza spoke about the side's performance in the first match, going back to the drawing board and avoiding  complacency among other topics.

Excerpts:

On India’s dominant performance against Sri Lanka

We had worked hard in the national camp and the results were there to see. The coordination between our midfield and attack was superb. We had a lot of possession and kept the ball well, switching sides when we wanted. It was a superb performance by the team and the score line speaks for itself but we have to be wary of complacency and not sit back and relax.

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In our next practice session, we will start afresh while keeping in mind that we are here to win this SAFF Championship and the result over Sri Lanka was just one match of many.

On the team scoring six goals in the first half

We wanted to take an early lead and we did. But the rest was unexpected and a pleasant surprise. Leading 6-0 at half-time is a secure score line for any coach and because of that I was able to experiment some permutations and combinations in the match.

On Shilky Devi's form

You want your forwards to score goals and Shilky scoring goals is a delight for any coach. Her talent and passion for the game is unparalleled and I hope she continues her stellar form in the next match against Bhutan as well.

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On the challenges in taking on the home side in the next game

It is always challenging to play the hosts. Bhutan are a tough team and we will have to be at our very best to beat them. It will not be an easy match. We will get back to the drawing board, correct our wrongs and focus on the opponents.

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